A blog expanding on the subjects discussed in our movie "Science Sex and the Ladies." We blog critically on a specific intersection of science, sexuality, and feminism; particularly paying attention to how female sexual response is discussed, portrayed, and studied in our culture. So...if you're interested in science, sex, lady stuff, or indie movie making...this is the blog for you.

1.09.2016

Gabrielle Union Thinks Masturbation Is Fun...Because It Is

Gabrielle Union stars in the show Being Mary Jane, which I admit that I have not seen yet, but now realize I probably should check out.

You see, she was being interviewed on Conan, and when he asked her about her character being a very sexually open woman, she said,

"My character actually beats off at work in the first season. I don't know where we go from there."

To which Conan got all squeamish and Conan-y and said that he didn't know women called it that, so she said,

"I think masturbate sounds so clinical...and it doesn't sound that fun...but it is...so you need to come up with something that indicates the joy one can have with oneself."

Andy and her and Conan were all having a fun ol' time with it, but by god, I have to give her hardcore orgasm equality props for being so unabashedly pro-masturbation. The sad truth is that you simply don't get to see a lot of ladies (real or fiction) that freely admit to masturbating, so it's still a very brave and bad-ass thing to do. You go the hell on with your bad self, Ms. Gabrielle Union! The more ladies are made to feel that masturbating is fun and normal, the more ladies will do it, which means more ladies will be having more orgasms by themselves, which means that more ladies will feel more comfortable, capable, and worthy of orgasms with a partner...which means we might just start approaching orgasm equality. You, Ms. Union, are an Orgasm Equality Hero! (Here's a link to the video if the embedded one below stops working)

2 comments:

Many others are less so. Even in some cultures that we regard as puritanical (such as some Islamic societies), there is often a surprising candor about masturbation.

I lived for many years in Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim country. It was initially shocking to me and my American sense of propriety to have women openly admitting and joking about their own masturbation experiences.

Initially I assumed the women who were so open about such private matters were slutty. Over time, I had to reassess this view as I realized that most of them were not. Admitting to masturbation just wasn't a big deal over there.

Once when I was replacing the batteries in the electric toothbrush I kept in my office, one of the secretaries inadvertently admitted to something that, even in Indonesia (at least in the office context) was a little over the line. I turned on the electric toothbrush to verify that I had inserted the batteries correctly. My secretary was passing in front of my office door just as I turned on the toothbrush. She immediately stopped and, peering into my office, asked, "What's that?" Upon seeing my toothbrush she said, "Oh! It sounded like something else. I thought you had my ... ."

Her voice trailed off and she looked embarrassed as she realized what she was about to admit and to whom she was about to admit it.

Interesting experience. It is definitely true that we Americans could learn a thing or two about being more open and accepting - even from cultures we stereotype as being full of people not so open and accepting. Let's hope there's more change for the better all around! :)